


The Softer Side

by abrasivepersonalitytendersoul



Category: Trouble in the Heights (2011)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-05 21:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6725032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrasivepersonalitytendersoul/pseuds/abrasivepersonalitytendersoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote this on very little sleep. So sorry if it sucks.</p></blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

For once, you both were going to bed at a reasonable hour. That is, if you call one in the morning reasonable. In this world it was. The world of worrying at all hours of the night when your drug lord boyfriend had late night meetings. Nevada was home early. He must not have needed one of his boys to rough up some first tier drug runner. You don’t make it far in this business by saying no to Nevada Ramirez. Usually you make it far into the ground.

It was hard for you to see that side of him though. The two of you had grown up together, your dads were best friends. Nevada’s dad ran the family business and your dad was the bookkeeper. You kids inherited the jobs your fathers had before you. That’s how it worked. Technically you were sleeping with your boss and you were sure if you hadn’t been born into this lifestyle, that would have bothered you, but it didn’t. 

It took a while before you got to this place. Throughout high school, Nevada had a lot of girlfriends and they were nothing like you. Your father insisted that you go to school and get an accounting degree. You knew from when you were five or six years old, that bookkeeping was going to be your life. You also thought it prudent to take some pre-law and psychology classes to supplement your degree. Mr. Ramirez was pleased at your insight. 

While you were away, you and Nevada remained friends. You saw more women come and go than you could count. When Nevada’s father passed away suddenly, there was a lot of questioning as to whether or not he would be ready to take the lead on the family business. Your father realized that his time was running out as well and decided to give you hands-on training for your future job. And that’s when everything changed.


	2. Chapter 2

One night a month, the various mob bosses would put their differences aside and spend an evening smoking, gambling, and drinking. Since money was being changed around, it was important to the Ramirez Family that the bookkeeper went along. It was Nevada’s first outing of the sort. He exuded confidence, but you knew him well enough that this night was a make or break night.

The bosses brought along a few of their men. This was supposed to be the peace pipe night, but in this line of work, things could get ugly fast and for no reason at all. You stood with your then-boyfriend, Mateo, who was also one of Nevada’s most trusted friends. During your childhood, the three of you, along with Mr. Ramirez (when he had the time), would play Blackjack with whatever candies were around. This is where you got in the habit of letting a Ramirez win. One time, Mateo won, Nevada flipped the table. You overheard Mr. Ramirez praising his son on his performance saying, “That’s how a Ramirez get’s it done.” 

You saw Nevada going downhill. Fast. You quickly did the math on how much he would need to bet in order to come out on top and it wasn’t pretty. The other bosses were talking smack about him and his ability to run a business if he can’t run a table. You had to think on your feet. If Nevada shot off, there would be total chaos, blood would be shed, the police could get involved, pretty much everything you needed to not happen. Before you were aware, your feet were moving towards him. 

The other men didn’t see you coming for the table. Women were background pieces to them. You walked up behind Nevada and started rubbing his shoulders. He twitched at first, but you leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Just go with me on this.” You kissed his cheek and teased his ear a little bit. Your hands found their way to his chest as you shot a glance across the table to the other men. They seemed impressed. You moved to sit on his lap. His arm snaked around you and your arm traveled around his neck. You placed a deep kiss on his lips to make sure the other men knew who was in charge. It was really you, but you had to make it look like Nevada. He broke the kiss and said, 

“You trying to distract me so one of these other motherfuckers can clean me out?!” He motioned for one of his men to move forward, but you stopped him.

“No, baby. I just wanted to be near my man when he starts winning. That’s all.” You added a pouty lip to add to it. 

He waved his men off again and said, “Better not be, or you’re going to pay for it tonight.” He pinched your butt for effect. 

You played with the lapels of his jacket and said, “Come on, baby. You know that being with you is no punishment.” 

He allowed a smirk to cross his lips. He placed a fresh cigarette in his mouth and motioned for you to light it up. You took your lighter out of your pocket and granted his silent demand. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and kissed you again. 

You could feel Nevada relax with you there. His confidence levels rose as he became smarter about the bets he was placing. Then he started winning hands and with that, came the money he lost. Within the next hour, he had completely cleaned house. Your butt was sore from sitting on his leg for an hour, but he played it well. The other bosses were not happy with the outcome. Their men started to move toward you, Nevada, and his men.

“Gentlemen, please. This was done fair and square. No need to get rough. Same time next month?” Nevada joked. 

“Whatever, Ramirez. Nobody likes a sore winner. Just cuz your father’s gone doesn’t mean we’re going to back off. Don’t forget that,” said Chin, the Chinese mob boss. The other bosses nodded in agreement.

“I never asked you to. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a beautiful woman to undress and fuck on all this money I just won.” You stood up off his leg. He placed his hand a little too low on your back for your comfort, but you were playing a piece of property in the monopoly of the underworld.

When you turned around, you saw Mateo’s face. His eyes had a fire in them that betrayed his rough exterior. He probably wasn’t happy with what just happened, but he was going to have to understand. He probably would.


	3. Chapter 3

The drivers went to round up the caravan, so you stayed on Nevada’s arm until the cars showed up. You never know who was watching. He did all the stuff he was supposed to do: hold you close, slip a few thousand bucks down your shirt, kiss you. Kissing was probably your favorite part. You always imagined Nevada to be an awkward kisser, but he was actually really good. So much better than Mateo. You probably got into the kissing part a little too much, but you were going to deal with that later.

You rode in the car with your father, Nevada, and Mateo. You had assumed incorrectly that Mateo would understand. He was throwing daggers with his eyes. You grabbed his hand to calm him down, but he pulled away. Not wanting to start an argument with two armed men in a small space, you kept to yourself.

You and Mateo shared an apartment a few doors down from Nevada and a floor below your father. You walked your father up to his apartment while Mateo walked Nevada to his. Your father congratulated you on thinking quickly, but warned you that you might have started something you can’t finish. He told you he had always hoped you would end up being with Nevada, but he didn’t want you to piss off anyone in his inner circle either. Technically you were going to be part of his inner circle at some point. The bookie was the unofficial second in command, but could easily be dumped if you said or did the wrong thing. It was skewed politics.

You heard a knock on the door. It was Mateo. He may be upset with you, but his momma always taught him to treat a lady with respect, no matter how angry he was. 

“Goodnight, daddy,” you said as you kissed him on the cheek and left.

Your walk back to your apartment was awkwardly quiet. When you got in and closed the door, Mateo’s mouth was on yours. 

“Is he a better kisser than me?” he asked, anger in his voice and eyes.

“That’s not fair, Mateo and you know it. I was doing my job. I would have liked to see you try to get him out of that situation.”

“You technically don’t have a job with this organization yet. How long have you been sleeping with him?”

“We aren’t sleeping together, Mateo! You need to calm down. He needed help asserting his dominance with the other bosses. He hasn’t been on his own that long and he needs all the help he can get. Why can’t you see that?”

“That looked like a lot more than just ‘professional assistance’.”

“I’m not one of Nevada’s whores. I’ll make a name for myself in this business by being the best goddamn bookkeeper this organization has ever seen! I don’t need to sleep with the boss to earn his trust because I already have it. And I reaffirmed that trust and loyalty tonight.”

“I want you out.”

“Mateo-,”

“Get the fuck out of here, slut!” he screamed.

You stared at him for a second, wanting to show him he couldn’t break you, but the tears in your eyes told a different story. The only place to go was your quiet space on the grounds.


	4. Chapter 4

You tried to muffle your cries as you walked down the hall to the elevator, the man posted outside Nevada’s door asked if you were okay, but you shrugged him off and kept going. The elevator dinged and you took it to the ground floor. You ran out the back door and into the gazebo. It was late enough that no one was out there. 

There was a decent sized fountain in the middle of the garden next to the gazebo. You liked to come out here and watch the water flow. It was a peaceful place in the middle of all the chaos. Not a lot of people used it unless they were having a birthday party for one of the kids. Your mother would bring you down here whenever your father had a meeting in his apartment. She never wanted you to get wrapped up in the business, but escaping wasn’t always that easy. She was able to get away. The last you knew, she lived in a trailer park in Indiana. That was five or six years ago.

You heard some leaves crunching behind you. You whipped your head around and saw Nevada standing there.

“Aren’t you a little far from one of your yes men?” you asked.

He chuckled, “There’s always one nearby. He’s over there.” He pointed to a bush. You could barely make out the figure of a man standing back there. “So what’s going on? My guy said you were upset?”

“Mateo thinks we’ve been fucking behind his back. He’s mad about tonight. I’m sure he’ll be fine in the morning.”

“I do have to admit, that was very unexpected. I do appreciate it though. Don’t tell anyone this, but I was drowning.”

“That’s why I did it. None of the guys were going to do anything except start a fight.”

“I can talk to him if you want. If he hears it from me, he might take it better.”

“Nevada, no. You can’t get in the middle of this. This isn’t your battle to fight. Besides, there are more important things you need to worry about.”

“Listen here, if I’m going to trust a man with my life, I need to be sure that the gun isn’t pointed at my back when he needs to fire. Do you understand?

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. I’m the only one allowed to give my friends a hard time. I’m going to talk to him. If he, or anyone else gives you trouble, let me know immediately.”

“I will, Nevada,” you said as you hugged him. 

“Good night. And thanks again,” he kissed you on the cheek and left.

It was getting close to 3 A.M.. You decided to call it a night too. You went up to your father’s apartment and crashed in your old room.

The next day, you went to see Mateo. You unlocked your apartment and walked into something you didn’t expect. Your apartment was completely trashed. Not unusual when Mateo got angry, but this was much worse. You walked to the bedroom and found him with an ice pack on his eye.

“Oh my God, Mateo! What happened?” you cried out as you ran to his side.

“Your boyfriend came over to say goodnight.”

“One, he’s not my boyfriend. Two, I told him not to, but he does what he wants. I thought he was just going to talk to you.”

“He started to, but then I ran my mouth. I guess I still need to get used to talking to Nevada the Boss.”

“Yeah, you should work on that. This isn’t high school anymore, babe.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“Mateo, are you still upset about last night?”

“It only confirmed what I feared all along.”

“What’s that?” you were concerned. You had a feeling you knew where this was going.

“That you and Nevada are supposed to be together. We both had crushes on you in high school, but he was more open about it than I was. With him being the boss’s son, I didn’t say anything. He assumed that you didn’t see either one of us in that way, so he started sleeping around. I always had faith that I would be with you. I got that. So, for the good of the organization, I’m breaking up with you. Go be with Nevada.”

You stared at him for a second. “Mateo, you are a fucking idiot, you know that? If I wanted to be with Nevada, it would have happened by now. But I’m not going to wait around for you to stop doing whatever the hell this is. I’ll move my stuff out today, but you need to make things right with Nevada. He trusts you!”

He started getting angry. “We always lose to Nevada. He gets what he wants. Last night, I could tell he wanted you and you wanted him. I’m done giving everything up for him. He can have you. He’ll just discard you when he’s done with you anyway. So don’t come crawling back to me when that happens!”

You took a step toward him. He was never like this. He understood what it meant to work for the Ramirez Family. They say, ‘jump’ and you ask, ‘how high’. Before you knew it, he had grabbed you and threw you on the bed. You felt some bones crack and you screamed. He climbed on top of you and steadied his arm to throw a punch. You saw his hand come down, so you moved your head. His fist grazed your ear. You could feel the blood coming from where his ring cut you. He rarely got violent. You yelled at him to stop. You tried to kick him, but he had your legs pinned down. He ripped your shirt and pulled you on the floor. He started to kick your back and sides. You were pretty sure both your wrists were broken, otherwise you would have fought back.

You heard some footsteps and shouting. All of a sudden you were being lifted off the floor and carried out of the apartment. You looked behind you and saw Mateo on the ground. You passed out immediately after that.


	5. Chapter 5

The next time you were conscious, you were in an unfamiliar apartment. You were sore all over, but you couldn’t feel any pain. You turned your head as much as you could to see your father and Nevada standing on either side of the bed.

“My God, what happened to you?” your father asked. He gently sat on the side of the bed and cleared stray hair from your face. “Was it Mateo?”

Your eyes started to well up. You couldn’t remember much of what happened, but you knew he flew off the handle pretty quickly and he ended up on the ground. “Yeah. I don’t remember much though.” Your voice was hoarse.

“Don’t strain your voice. Mateo did some damage to your windpipe,” another voice said from across the room.

“I want you to meet Dr. Gonzalez. He’s my personal doctor. He’s taken care of me since I was an infant.”

“It appears as though most of the damage that was done will heal over the next few days. Both of your wrists were broken in the struggle. While you were asleep, I reset them and put them in braces. When you feel comfortable walking, come to my office and I’ll get them casted for you.”

“Thank you,” you mouthed. You looked at your father and back to Nevada, “Where am I?”

“You’re in my spare bedroom. I wanted to be able to keep an eye on you while you recover. The door is always manned, so Mateo can’t get in. Even if he wanted to, which I’m sure he doesn’t at this point,” Nevada said.

“Where is he?” you mouthed again.

“Mateo is no longer...employed,” he said, sounding elusive.

“Nevada, you didn’t!” you yelled.

“Watch your voice,” your father warned.

“I didn’t do anything. I heard you screaming and I went over with my men. Miguel carried you out and put you in here. I was with him. Whatever happened after that was out of my control.”

“Nevada. What did you do?” you mouthed.

“We found he was dipping into the supply and mixing things around. I don’t employ people I can’t trust. So he was taught a lesson he won’t soon forget.”

You stared at him with wide eyes. You were torn between being in awe of someone taking care of you in your time of need and being absolutely terrified of him.

“She needs to rest. I think it is best if we let her,” Dr. Gonzalez cut in.

Your father stood up, “That sounds like a great idea. You text me if you need me baby girl, okay?” 

You nodded.

“And I’ll be in the other room. If you need me, you can also text me,” Nevada said as he put your phone on the charger and laid it next to you.

“Thank you again,” you mouthed. 

The last thing you remember was your father kissing your forehead.


	6. Chapter 6

The next thing you remembered was sitting straight up in bed, crying and screaming.

Nevada and the door guard were by your side in seconds. He flipped the light on and ran to your side.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Nevada asked, an uncharacteristic level of fear in his eyes.

You sat there, trying to catch your breath. As soon as your breathing regulated, you started sobbing again. This went on for a few minutes. Nevada dismissed the guard and shifted into the bed next to you. He laid you back against him and waited for you to calm down. 

Another ten minutes went by before you spoke, “All I remember was seeing Mateo’s face as he punched me. But it wasn’t Mateo’s face. It was something scarier. I don’t know what it was.” You started to sniffle again and Nevada pulled you closer to him. He smelled of alcohol and Marlboro Black. 

“I don’t want to keep you, Nevada. You’ve probably got business to attend to. You’re an important man,” you said. You didn’t mean it, but you knew the nature of the beast. He was being so kind to you. This kind of treatment would probably cost you a month or more of being his fuck buddy, but right now that didn’t matter. You would figure that out later.

“It’s fine. Business can wait. I have a very dear friend in need.” He laid his head on top of yours and stroked your hair until you fell asleep.

The next morning, Nevada was still laying next to you. He was out like a light. You were feeling better, so you decided to try to make some breakfast. You didn’t expect him to have much in his kitchen, but you were pleasantly surprised at what you saw. You made your way to the front door and asked the man if he wanted anything to eat. He looked shocked and politely declined the offer.

You got to work on figuring out what to make. The kitchen wasn’t well-stocked, but it had enough. You decided on a Spanish Omelet and got to work. It didn’t take you long to get things going. You made these for your roommates in college nearly every weekend. You would add extra things like tomatoes, green peppers, cheese, and other stuff. One time, when you were all drunk, you put M&M’s in it. That was the same week you got new cookware. Well, the college version of new.

It turned out that cooking with awkward wrist braces made a simple dish extra difficult. You kept getting egg shells mixed in with the food. You were sure Nevada would have you executed on the spot for trying to kill him or something. You heard a sound behind you.

“Fuuuuuuuuuck!” screamed Nevada. This was it. You were done. All because you were trying to be kind to someone who had been kind to you. You whipped around, ready to apologize and beg for mercy. You saw Nevada jumping around on one foot. He looked like he was about to cry.

“What is it?” you asked.

“I stubbed my fucking pinky toe on the corner of the table. This hurts like a motherfucker.”

“Just sit down. I’ll grab some ice and a towel.” You turned off the stove and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and the towel on the counter.

He went and sat on the couch. He propped his foot up. You sat down next to his foot on the table and examined the toe. 

“Shit, let me help you with that. You probably shouldn’t be walking around without me. Or someone,” he corrected himself.

You elected to ignore his remark. “It looks a little swollen. It’s going to hurt for a day or so, but you will be fine. The nail might fall off though. It won’t hurt, and it’ll grow back before you know it.” You gingerly poked around the toe and the rest of the foot. You hated feet, but this was different. Like a protective instinct washed over you.

“Thanks. Can I still shoot the table?” he asked, trying to be funny.

“It’s your table. But I would suggest not. If I remember the books correctly, there isn’t a lot left in the redecorating budget. You nearly blew it all the other night along with other budgets. Your winnings had to get distributed back over those first.”

You stood up and walked back to the kitchen to grab the breakfast that was getting cold. You put the food on plates and grabbed some forks. You handed Nevada a plate. He took it without missing a beat.

“That money really should have stayed with me. You just said they were my winnings,” he said, a little agitated.

“Well, considering how it’s all your money to begin with, I don’t disagree. However, this is how we’ve been doing things for a while. In time, you’ll be able to change it. But I think you’re going to want to pay all these people who work for you. And you need budgets for that. But I’m not technically an employee, so what do I care?”

“And some of that money should probably go to you. I wouldn’t have gotten it if you hadn’t helped me.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but you’re right. Which reminds me: wherever I put my purse, I’ve got that four grand you slipped into my bra after the game.”

“Keep it. Consider it a Christmas bonus.”

“One: Christmas was four months ago. Two: I’m already indebted to you. I don’t know how I’m going to pay you back,” you looked down as you mentioned paying him back.

“What do you mean, pay me back?” Nevada asked, pretending not to know.

“For this. Your doctor, your spare bed, your kindness. Powerful men like you don’t do this kind of stuff for nothing, Nevada.”

“If you’re so concerned about it, why don’t you pay me back by having dinner with me?” he asked.

You looked at him for a second. Was this a trap? Your life already belonged to him. If you said yes, you could be considered just another mob whore. If you said no, you could be demoted to a mob whore. Agreeing to what appeared to be a not so professional dinner with the boss could put you in a lot of trouble if things didn’t go well. You reminded yourself that Nevada was your friend since childhood and agreed to dine with him.

“All my things are at Mateo’s apartment. I don’t have anything to wear. This isn’t even my shirt or pants.”

“Don’t worry about it. You aren’t going back to Mateo, so why not get a new wardrobe for your new life?” he said grabbing your hand.

“Nevada, what are you saying?”

“Mateo was a fucking asshole who never deserved you anyway. I don’t know why I let him in my security detail.”

“Was?” you asked, trying not to rock the boat more than you already had.

“It’s not important. You’re safe now. The only way Mateo can get to you is if he kills me. And that’s not going to happen. And you never answered my question. Will you have dinner with me?”

“When?”

“Whenever you feel like going out. We have some new business coming out of a new restaurant on 128th Street. I figured we could go pay him a visit.”

“That sounds like a good plan. I’d like to meet some of the clients so I know who to get on about payments. Will it bother you if we wait a few days until I don’t feel like I was dropped over a bridge and hit by a train?”

“Not at all. And if it doesn’t bother you, I’d like for you to stay here while you recover. Now that I’m down a guy I can’t afford to have one outside your father’s door if you go up there. Plus, I like having you around. We haven’t spent a lot of time together since you came back from college. Money is nice to look at, but women are prettier.”

“I probably look like a wreck. I haven’t even looked in a mirror yet. I’m kind of afraid to.”

“Mateo looked worse.”

“Can you not talk about him if you aren’t going to tell me what happened to him?”

“I’m just reminding you that you are better off now. I’ll tell you what happened when the time is right.” He started to get off the couch, “Thank you, for breakfast. I don’t think I’ve had a Spanish Omelet this good in ages. We got to get dressed. We have a meeting in 20 minutes.”

“I literally just told you I don’t have any clothes.”

“Well then it’s a good thing I have some you can wear. We’ll get you something to wear after the meeting.”


	7. Chapter 7

He led you to his bedroom and over to his closet. There was so much black. Even his boxers were black. You found one of his nicer button up shirts and a belt. You remembered seeing your jeans back in your room. They were probably blood stained, but it was better than no pants. 

“What kind of meeting is this?” you asked.

“We found out one of the scrubs was taking a little off the top for himself. He’s here for a disciplinary meeting.”

No pants it is. Just a short dress shirt and belt. You figured the more skin you showed and the closer you were to Nevada, the more powerful he would look. And this little guy needed to know who was in charge.

You went back to your room to change. You saw your sandals next to your clothes. You created your ensemble and went to the bathroom. You didn’t like what you saw, but it wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. There was a cut near your temple and a bruise back toward your ear. Other than some scrapes on your arms and legs, you looked decent.

You went to work on your hair and makeup. There wasn’t much you could do without the proper supplies and two functioning wrists, but you managed to make yourself look presentable. 

You emerged from the room a few minutes later and found some other people gathered in the living room. Your father was one of them. He looked happy to see you up and about. 

“How are you feeling?” your dad asked.

“I’m doing better than I was yesterday when you came to see me.”

“Honey, you’ve been asleep since Tuesday night. It’s Friday.”

“Well shit. What did Dr. Gonzalez give me?”

“Whatever it was, it was enough to keep you knocked out while the worst passed. Nevada insisted that you stayed here to recover. You don’t say no to the boss.”

“I’ve picked up on that. Which is kind of why I agreed to go to dinner with him when I’m feeling better.”

“That’s great! So you’re like, his girl now right?” his eyes looked hopeful.

“No! He’s a friend. That’s all.”

“Is he taking you out or are you staying in?”

“Out. He has some new business at a restaurant and wanted to stop by and pay them a visit.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re his girl now.”

You looked at him sternly. “I made it very clear that I was going as a professional courtesy.”

You were interrupted by someone letting the group know the scrub was being brought up. Everyone took a place in the living room. Nevada sat in one of the arm chairs in the center. He motioned for you to come over. You sat on the arm of the chair and waited. You tugged at the bottom of your shirt/dress combo.

The front door swung open and there he was. He looked roughed up, but that was to be expected when you tried to double cross someone like Nevada. The guy was dragged in and thrown on the floor in front of Nevada.

“Is this him?” Nevada asked.

“Yes, sir,” replied one of the men.

“Do you know why you’re here today, Mateo?”

You froze. You didn’t hear that name.

“Cuz I bitch-slapped that slut you’ve been sleeping with?” he said as he looked up and met Nevada’s gaze and glancing toward you.

“Tsk, tsk. You need to respect your superiors. Do you want to try answering my question again or should I have my boys take you back to where you came from?”

You moved a hand to Nevada’s shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

“I’d rather not.”

“Just answer the fucking question!” Nevada shifted in his seat. “How much does this gringito own me?”

“$39,398,” your father replied.

“Now how are you going to repay that debt, Mateo? Hmm?” Nevada nudged him with his foot.

“I let you have that whore. But she’s not worth a grand.”

“Miguel, remind this asshole who he’s talking to.”

Without blinking, Miguel pistol whipped Mateo. His eye was bleeding. You wanted to go over and help him, but he also deserved this. Skewed as it was, mob justice was swift and always benefited the boss. 

“You don’t speak of her like that. You hear me? You need my permission to talk to her. Now, what did you do to own me all that money?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Nevada.”

“I think you do. And that’s a lot of money. How long have you been stealing from me? Who would buy from you?”

Mateo didn’t answer. He just spit on Nevada’s shoe.

“I’m done with this jerk off. Take him to the dock and see if he remembers anything.”

And with that, Mateo was gone again.


	8. Chapter 8

Not long after that, the room cleared, leaving you, your father, and Nevada. This was your first disciplinary meeting and you had no idea how to respond. You had heard about these meetings from your father, but this was different. You still harbored some feelings for Mateo, but you also were getting over him rather quickly. He had a history of being violent, but never with you. All of this was so unlike him. Unless there was a side of him you never saw. It was quite possible in this line of work. Nevada was proving that to you.

You sat on the couch, not paying attention to what your father and Nevada spoke of. Probably financial stuff you should be trying to understand, but you couldn’t. By trying to help out your future boss you had thrown yourself into a weird mobster political scheme that was spiraling downward every second.

“Baby girl, did you hear me?” your father asked.

“What? I’m sorry. I got lost in thought,” you responded.

“I asked if you needed anything from my apartment, seeing as you’ll probably be staying here for a while.”

You glared at him. He was trying to get you to admit you were Nevada’s girlfriend. You weren’t. You couldn’t be. Even Nevada knew better than to just tell you that you were doing something, even if there was a small part of you that wanted it.

“I should have a dress or some other clothes up there that I can wear instead of this,” you said motioning to the concoction you planned last minute.

“I’ll see what I can find. I’ll be back soon,” your dad said as he kissed your head.

“So, uh...where do you want to go get your clothes from?” Nevada asked.

“Nevada Ramirez! What the hell is happening to Mateo right now?” you demanded.

You stood up and marched over to him, grabbed his ear, and pulled him down to your level. “I swear to God, if you ordered him killed I’ll-”

“You’ll what? Go to the police? All they’re going to find is a sad man who killed himself.”

You let go of his ear, “So what exactly is happening at the dock?”

He straighten up and smoothed out his jacket. He tried to look intimidating, but his eyes betrayed him. “They’re just jostling him around on the boat for a bit. We already know what he did. I’m trying to buy him time because even though he beat you and was incredibly disrespectful, I can’t order a hit on him. He’s still an old friend.”

“I appreciate that. I really do. What are you thinking?”

“I was hoping to ask you that. You’re the one he really hurt. I can make that money back in six hours. He stripped you of your security. And I was hoping this could be a way for you to start on the path to healing.” He grabbed your hand as he spoke. You never knew he was capable of this. Maybe Nevada hadn’t given up on being with you. And you started to see more of a man who definitely had his flaws, but was also worried about you and wanted to help you get back on your feet.

“Nevada, I haven’t thought about it. I’d like to kick him in the nuts and maybe get a few shots in on his face.” You started to move your thumb against his fingertips. He took a step closer to you and put his other hand on your waist.

Before you knew it, you were kissing. Really kissing. There was no one to impress and no one was around to get mad. It was just the two of you. And it was wonderful.

You were the first to break away. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, taking a step back.

“Did I just hear a Ramirez genuinely apologize?” you jokingly asked.

“Not if you didn’t want to.”

“I’ll let you know. A lot has happened in the last few days. And why didn’t you tell me I had been out for days?”

“It hadn’t come up in conversation yet?”

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

There was a knock on the door. Your father was being let in by the door guard. 

“I don’t know much about fashion, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with jeans and one of my old shirts.”

“Thanks, daddy,” you said while kissing him on the cheek, “I’m going to shower and go change now.”

“Hurry up, don’t keep the boss waiting.”

You tried your best with the shower. But really you were just able to rinse off your legs and torso. You changed and went back into the living room. Your father and Nevada were looking at financial records.

Nevada stood up he was at a loss for words, “You look...bretty.”

“Uh...thanks?” you responded. Nevada doesn’t jumble his words together.

“I’m going to use the restroom really quick and then we can be off.”

After Nevada left, your dad looked at you with that look in his eye.

“He likes you. You’re his girl,” your dad said.

“I really don’t want to complicate the working relationship, dad. He’s just helping me get back on my feet.”

“Ok, so what are you guys doing?”

“He’s taking me to get new clothes. He told me that a new life without Mateo deserves a new wardrobe.”

“I’m telling you. He’s going to ask you to be his girl by the end of the day.”

“You want to bet on that, dad? If he asks me by the end of the day, I will make you breakfast in bed for a week. If not, you bring me breakfast in bed for a week.”

And you shook on it.

Nevada emerged from the bedroom, “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you in the morning, dad. Does 9 AM work?”

He turned to leave and said, “Anything for you, sweet pea.”

Nevada walked up beside you and put his hand at the small of your back. “You ready to go?”

The contact made your eyes widen. Maybe your dad was getting breakfast in bed this week. “Yeah. Sounds good.”


	9. Chapter 9

The two of you walked down to the elevator together. It was actually the two of you surrounded by four bodyguards. Apparently they thought there wasn’t much a security risk today. There were two SUVs waiting outside. Two of the men got into the first vehicle and you and Nevada got in the second along with the other two men. This formation was nothing new, but it was different this time. As in, if something were to happen and they needed to get Nevada out, you weren’t going to be left to fend for yourself. A good different. 

You sat next to Nevada, who was smoking a cigarette, one bodyguard sat across from you, and the other rode shotgun. The journey was about fifteen minutes.

“Where are we?” you asked as you pulled up.

“I got you an appointment to get your wrists casted. I thought it would be better than fighting the braces,” he replied, putting his cigarette out on the ashtray in the backseat. “Dr. Gonzalez wanted to see you when you felt better, and I think now is just as good a time as any to get that done.”

“Don’t you have other matters to attend to? Don’t the warehouses need inspected and debtors visited?” you asked. 

“Yes. But I don’t run on their schedules. They run on mine. The doctor’s waiting for us.”

You followed Nevada out of the car. The other men took their places and you went in the building. The waiting room was full of patients. Some people turned and looked at who came in the door and quickly turned back around again. Others called for their kids to come to them. The fear spread quickly through the room. You walked up to the receptionist and began signing in. She mentioned she didn’t have you on the schedule for today. 

“That can’t be. I was told the doctor was expecting me today,” you said.

“Maybe you have an appointment on a different day? I’ll check.”

“I think she had an appointment scheduled for today. Check under Ramirez,” Nevada said curtly.

The receptionist froze. She looked like she had been caught red-handed at a crime scene. She turned her head, but kept her eyes focused on the computer screen ahead of her.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Ramirez. I didn’t realize you were here. I’ll let the doctor know you’ve arrived.”

You looked at Nevada. All she had to do was hear his name to have the fear of God run through her. You never realized how intimidating he could be. It must be one of the perks of growing up on the inside.

You were almost immediately ushered back to an exam room. Three of the men stayed in the lobby while one went back with you and Nevada. Minutes later, Dr. Gonzalez walked in.

“Nevada, it’s good to see you again. It’s a rare treat that I get to see you twice in a week. And this lovely lady too. You certainly are looking a lot better than when I saw you the other day. How’s your pain?”

“It’s bearable. Other than my wrists, I’ve found that if I move too quickly I feel it, but other than that, I’m good,” you responded. You liked this doctor. He didn’t seem at all intimidated by Nevada. Of course, he’d seen all the bits and pieces and in betweens over the years. He probably knew Nevada better than himself.

“Good. That’s what I like to hear. I gave you a sedative that kept you knocked out for a few days. Since I couldn’t cast you at the apartment, I needed to have you immobilized and I don’t always trust Nevada’s immobilization techniques. I do want to take more pictures to see where we are with the healing. I wasn’t able to get good ones before, so let’s get that started and then we can look at where we need to go from here.”

You followed the good doctor to the X-ray room. The nurse had you removed any and all metal you had on you and positioned you for the X-ray. You were done in 10 minutes. The pictures would be done in another 10. You were led back to your exam room and left with Nevada, who had started looking at whatever magazine had been left in there.

Everything was eating at you. You knew what was happening. You didn’t hate the idea, but you weren’t completely on board yet either. Everything was still raw with Mateo and you wanted to move past it. Nevada saw that and was doing what he did best with these situations: he threw money at it until it went away. A few minutes of silence went by. Nevada was the first to speak up.

“Have you thought any more about what I asked you earlier?”

“What did you ask me?”

“What you wanted to do about Mateo. I knew the ball-kicking and ass beating was a given, but what about after that?”

“Why are you asking me? He’s your problem.”

“Yes and no. Yeah, he stole money and product from me, but he did the real damage to you. That’s why I want your input.”

“That’s a nice sentiment, Nevada, but I’m not good with these things. That’s why you’re the boss.”

Nevada smirked. “I am the boss. You’re right. And as your boss, I’m ordering you to figure something out.”

“Well it’s a good thing I’m not technically an employee yet.”

You saw the anger rush into his eyes. He shifted in his seat like he was about to say something, but you stopped him.

“But if I was to make a decision, I would make him turn over his buyers, bust him down to a runner, and make sure he turned over every cent at the end of the night.”

“I like that. But how do you suggest we do that?” His face softened. He liked the idea.

“Give every runner a nightly goal. Double it for Mateo. If anyone is not meeting their quota, you know how to send them to jail. Then, you have guys on the inside and you can expand your business.”

“I thought you hadn’t thought this through?”

“My dad told me that the way you stay alive in the bookie business is by having an idea in the back of your mind to make the boss more money.”

“Your father is a smart man. I like that plan.”

There was a knock on the door. Dr. Gonzalez came in and sat down.

“It looks like your left wrist was badly sprained and a hairline fracture in your right. You’ll need to have the left one wrapped for at least a week along with rest and ice. We’ll get you casted on the right. Normally the healing process takes 4-6 weeks, but we might be able to get you out of it in 3 ½. Does that work for you?”

“Is there a way for my wrist to not be broken so we can avoid the cast altogether?” you asked.

“Oh, she’s a funny one, Nevada. You keep her around. I’ll round up the supplies and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Apparently everyone wants you and Nevada to be together. And the more time you were spending with him outside of business, the more you were beginning to like him. 

The doctor came back in and casted and wrapped your wrists. He bade you farewell and told you to come see him again in 3 weeks. It was a long time in broken bone years. But at least your cast and wrap were a lot more manageable that what you previously had.


	10. Chapter 10

You all filed back down to the SUVs and were on your way again. You checked your phone and saw you had a missed text from your dad. It read:

I’d like bacon and eggs for breakfast tomorrow. Or maybe waffles. I’ll get back to you.

You looked up to see if Nevada was watching. He was busy checking his own texts. You fired back:

That’s cute. I want French Toast, sausage, and hash browns. And I might want to sleep in. How about 10?

You smirked as you put your phone away.

“What’s so funny?” Nevada asked.

“Nothing. Just a joke my dad and I have going. He thinks he’s hilarious.”

“I don’t take your dad for the joking type. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him laugh.”

“You’ll just have to hang around me more often then,” you retorted. You immediately regretted saying that. Did you just open the door to serving your father breakfast?

“I plan on it,” he said softly. He placed his hand over yours. You didn’t know what to expect, but you were loving every second of his touch.

You rode in silence the rest of the way to the clothing store. You weren’t very picky in your style, it just never mattered to you. You knew how to dress for different occasions, but other than that, you wore whatever was casual and comfy. You looked out the window at where you were then looked back at Nevada wide-eyed.

“Please tell me we are visiting a client because I cannot afford to even look at this place.”

“The owner is a client, but we aren’t here for that. The people close to me deserve the best. And this place is the best. Get whatever you want,” Nevada said with a straight face. 

“Nevada, I have absolutely nothing to wear besides what I have on right now. I can’t let you-”

“You will let me. You already agreed to go to dinner with me, so payback isn’t necessary.”

You had to admit, his commanding tone was kind of sexy. And the way he was looking out for you was sexy. Maybe Mateo had been right? Maybe you did belong together? But it had only been a few days since the incident. You couldn’t possibly be falling for another guy? Nevada must have something he wants from you. That explains it. Probably sex. As long as he got sex, he probably wouldn’t mind being the rebound guy. But there was something about the way he treated you. He seemed genuinely interested in you. He valued you. He doesn’t pull out all the stops for just anyone. You’ve known him long enough that he pumps and dumps. Maybe he was maturing? All you knew was that you needed to get him alone to talk to him. And that needed to happen before he dropped an insane amount of money on you for clothes and before you owed your father breakfast.

So you did what you thought would grant you a few minutes alone with Nevada. You moved closer to him, put your hand just about his knee, and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. You noticed his beard was soft and you wanted to nuzzle in it for hours. You rested your head on his shoulder as he moved to kiss you on the head and wrap an arm around you. He jerked his head to motion for the bodyguard to leave you too be for a minute. The bodyguard smirked and got out. Apparently he had seen this move too many times.

Before you could speak, Nevada’s lips were on yours. He kissed you like your lips were the very oxygen he needed to survive. You returned the kiss and moved your hand up his leg. You grabbed at the lapel of his jacket and moved it off his shoulder. You took his arm out of the sleeve of his jacket, running your hand over the remnants of scars that probably had some sketchy backstory. His hand cupped your face as he drew you in deeper to this lips. He nipped at your bottom lip and kissed your jawline. His free hand travelled up your shirt and felt for the clasp of your bra. 

You pulled away. You wanted to continue, but you didn’t want your first time with him to be in the backseat of an SUV. He looked at you like you had deeply hurt his feelings. Like he was about to cry. 

“Is something the matter?” he asked.

“Not at all. I just don’t want my first time with you to be in the backseat of a car. It’s a little trashy, don’t you think?”

“Trashy isn’t always bad, ya know,” he said with a pouty lip.

“I know. But it’s also weird knowing that your men are right outside the door and that they are probably listening in so they have something for their spank banks.”

“You’ll get used to them being around. They know better than to listen in on private meetings. Miguel almost lost a ball because of it. Isn’t that right, Miggy?”

“Yep. Sure is- SHIT!” Miguel answered.

Nevada laughed. “Sometimes you gotta yank these guys around. Business makes everyone so serious all the time. I’ve got the Heights by the balls, so why not have a little fun?”

You stared at him. How is this the same man who takes lives and limbs for even looking at him the wrong way?

“Let’s go in. There’s no limit; get whatever you want. That’s an order.”


	11. Chapter 11

You spent the first ten or so minutes just looking through the store. You tried your hardest to ignore the price tags, but it was ridiculous-even at the “clearance” rack. You told yourself to just get the necessities and sneak away to a thrift store for the extras. 

You found something for every occasion in the store. And it was all your style. Nevada walked up to you with a bodyguard in tow who was carrying probably fifty pounds worth of clothing.

“Try these. If it fits and you like it, it’s yours.”

You followed the bodyguard back to a dressing room where he hung as much on the hooks as he could. Nevada instructed him to hold the rest and when you were done with what you had in the changing room, you’d switch out the inventory. He also requested that you show him what you were trying on. He knew you would try to say nothing fit so he wouldn’t buy as much, but he wasn’t having it. Come hell or high water, you were getting a brand new wardrobe.

Most of the clothes fit. There were a few pieces that either made you uncomfortable or were just entirely too small. There were dresses, shirts, shorts, pants, leggings, skirts-everything you would need.

After you whittled down what didn’t fit, you were left with about thirty pounds of clothes. You were getting exhausted. Clothes shopping was not your forte. 

You were just about finished changing back into your clothes when you saw something in the corner of your eye. Nevada had thrown more clothes over the top of the dressing room door.

“You’re going to need dress clothes. Especially if you’re coming with me to more poker nights.”

If there hadn’t been a door in front of you, Nevada would have been dead from the look you gave him. You took the clothes, hung them up on the hooks and began to undress again.

You tried on the first item. It was a slinky black, floor-length dress that had a slit all the way up to the knee. This was probably the sexiest you ever remember looking. You were excited to show Nevada, but also a little uneasy at the same time. You opened the door anyways.

The look on his face said it all. His jaw dropped. In an effort to make the most of the moment, you walked over to him and closed his mouth for him. It snapped him out of it.

“Add that one to the pile,” he said as he cleared his throat. You looked down and saw what was either a partial erection or the glock he had on his person.

You walked back into the dressing room and tried the rest of the clothes on. Clearly these were going to be your work clothes. It made sense. You father was always dressed to the nines for business meetings.

The clothes had piled up so much that it took three of the four bodyguards to carry it all to the counter. You tried to tell Nevada again that it was too much, but he wouldn’t listen. You watched in horror as the total climbed with every passing second. The final total nearly floored you.

“$9,377.26,” the cashier said.

“Ramirez discount,” Nevada said in a hushed tone.

“Oh, I’m sorry sir. Let me total that up for you. It looks like you have been covered by the owner, and we actually owe you $10,000.”

“That sounds about right. I’ll have one of my guys return anything that ends up not fitting.”

The cashier nodded and placed the clothes in bags. You moved to pick up the bags, but Nevada swatted you away. 

“You don’t want to over exert your wrists. The boys will take care of it.”

You looked over at the bodyguards and mouthed “Sorry” to them, but they just nodded. They were probably used to this. They gathered the bags and all of you left the store. You filled up both trunks of the SUVs, the entire backseat of the lead car, and a quarter of the backseat in the one you and Nevada were in.

“Thank you, Mr. Ramirez,” you said playfully.

“When did we backtrack to something so formal?” 

“Well, there’s a lot of work clothes in there. I assumed this was professional courtesy.”

“You’re not wrong,” Nevada said, moving closer to you. “But you also deserve to be spoiled rotten after what that bastard did to you. Should we go pay him a visit and let him know what we plan to do with him?”

“I think that sounds like a splendid idea,” you said. 

He grabbed one of the bags sitting next to the bodyguard and said, “Then get dressed,” he said, “Try this.”

He had handed you a tan, fitted spaghetti strap shirt and a pair of dark skinny jeans. You looked at him and said, “Where am I supposed to change?”

“Right here. We’ll give you privacy,” and turning to his bodyguard he said, “I’ll be watching you. I swear to God if you even give her the side eye, I’ll have your dick on a platter.”

“I understand, sir,” he said.

“Just let me know when you’re done,” he said sweetly.

Nevada turned his head, but kept an eye on his bodyguard. You quickly changed into the shirt and changed your pants. The sandals you had on went with your outfit really well. 

“All clear,” you said.

“Good. Because we’re here. Let’s get to work.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this on very little sleep. So sorry if it sucks.

You looked out the window and saw the boat house. You had heard stories of this place. Your career was over if you had to get “training” at the boat house. Very rarely did someone enter back into the Ramirez’ good graces after this point. 

The house itself was rather adorable. It was a small, red house with white trim. You couldn’t help but wonder if the red color was actually paint. With these people you can never be too sure.

You walked into the house with Nevada and the men. The inside of the home told a different story from the outside. The interior was very outdated. It looked like nothing had been changed since maybe the late 1980s, if you were going to give the decorator any credit. The living room had an untreated, half-rotten floor and rugs that were as thin as baby’s hair. There was some kind of stench about the house as well. Body-odor mixed with Axe and fresh ass after food poisoning. And the heat. There was a little box fan in the corner, but that just moved the stink around.

Mateo was kneeling in the middle of the floor, bruised and bloodied. There were a couple of Nevada’s “soldiers” standing around him. His left eye was nearly swollen shut and his nose was more crooked than normal. You tried to contain the expression on your face, but Nevada caught you.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

You started to sweat a little bit. You knew Mateo deserved this, but you still saw someone who you shared part of your life with. You were confident that Nevada wouldn’t turn on you if you told him how you really felt, but you were here to do a job.

“No, Papí,” you said sidling up to him and linking your arm through his, “I just wasn’t expecting him to look so… Put together. If anyone owed me that kind of money, they would be lucky to still have fingers and toes. Or other things,” you said as you directed your attention to Mateo’s nether region.

“Oh, but cariño, we are just getting started,” he purred back at you. “I thought you could take a crack at him and see if he can tell you how he’s going to pay me back.”

He nodded his head and Miguel stepped forward and offered his switchblade to you. As necessary as you thought it was, you politely declined it. You had other things up your cast.

“I love to watch you work,” Nevada said as he nudged you forward and gave you a love tap on the ass. 

You watched with satisfaction as Mateo’s eyes began to burn with hatred. Since neither you or Nevada were ones to let a theatrical moment slip away, you turned around and pretended to scold him.

“Ay, Papí. Don’t get me excited before I show him what he missed out on. Or maybe, we can let him hear.”

You saw his face perk up at your comment. You motioned toward the back bedroom, which probably had all sorts of dirty laundry behind the door. Literally and figuratively. You led Nevada to the back room, letting him get close enough to touch you and make you look flustered and horny. You had to make him focus again when Mateo yelled out something about, “enjoying that slut while she still puts out for you.”

You shut the door to the bedroom and let out a little yelp.

“Nevada, I don’t know what to do!” you said.

“Wait, so there isn’t any sex?”

“No. I needed to pull you away to figure out what I’m going to do to him.”

“I thought you were going to tell him what you told me?”

“I am, but the point isn’t going to come across well from me. He never really respected me, so what makes you think that’s going to change now?”

“Come for Papí, baby!!” he yelled.

“What are you doing?”

“They think we’re back here having sex. You know they’re listening. Just go with it.”

“NEVADA, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE!” you belted out. You swore you saw his cheeks go red. “I have an idea. How hard are you?”

“I thought we weren’t-?”

“Just put your dick in my hand. We’re both adults.”

He did as you told him. You pumped him with one hand while covering the tip with the other. You needed as much as you could for this. He unloaded himself shortly after and let out a primal yell, which was actually really sexy, but you had other things to attend to. You took your semen-filled hand and dabbed some around your mouth and lips, spread some over your chest, lathered your hands, and messed up your hair a bit. Nevada tousled his hair a bit too, which was also really sexy.

You checked yourself in the mirror before turning around to Nevada and said, “Just go with it. Take the seat across from Mateo like earlier. And don’t wipe your hands. I’m going to need that in a bit. You leave first, I’ll be there in a second.”

Nevada left and you listened as he sat across from Mateo. You decided to wait to see how Mateo would react.

“Finished so soon? She’s not that great of a lay, but she gets the job done,” Mateo said. You could just imagine the look on Nevada’s face. “She’d be a good one to put on the street to turn some extra money.”

“You know I don’t run business that way. And don’t speak unless spoken to, you bastard. Her business is no longer any concern of yours. So if you don’t mind, I want to give you a chance to tell me why I should spare your life.”

You couldn’t tell what happened next but you heard a lot of painful groaning. Which you were making your cue. You walked out and sat in Nevada’s lap. The beginning of the end. You perched yourself in the chair against him. His hand came to your jaw as he pulled you down for a kiss.

“Did you enjoy yourself, baby?” he asked.

“I did, Papí. You are so good to me.” You took his hand in yours and began to suck on his fingers. 

“That’s a good girl. Now tell me, what should I do with this jackoff?”

“You do whatever pleases you, baby.”

“I already did, cariño. Or do you not remember what just happened?”

“Can you remind me, Papí?”

“Later, I promise. That is, if this motherfucker gives me what I want.” he said turning his focus back to Mateo.

“I already gave you dirty pussy. What else do you want?” Mateo asked.

“You know what he wants, asshat.” you cut in. You stood up and walked over to where he was kneeling. You turned to one of the soldiers and said, “Cut him loose, but hold onto him.”

The soldier looked around you to Nevada who said, “Do as she says or you’ll be next!”

“Keep him on his knees. He needs to be reminded of who he’s talking to.”

Mateo opened his mouth to speak, but you silenced him with a backhand to the face.

“When you’re dealing with me, you’re dealing with the big guns. He may have the Heights by the balls, but I have him by the balls. It’s one thing to piss Nevada Ramirez off, but it’s a totally different thing to piss off his girlfriend,” you motioned to one of the soldiers, “I’m tired of this fucker. He broke my wrist, break his.”

There was a crack and a howl of pain. 

“Are you ready to negotiate?” you asked.

“Nevada, you’re going soft. Are you really letting this bitch do this?”

“I’m only going to say this once, Mateo. If you value your life, you will answer her and you will do whatever she says. And you will do it all with a goddamn smile on the god-awful face of yours.”

You looked back at Nevada and gave him a nod. He’s learned a lot in the last week. Maybe you did actually have him by the balls. You turned back to Mateo and continued.

“This is what is going to happen. You are turning over your buyers to Nevada. You are also going to keep a job with us. But not the one you had before. You’re going to run inventory to investors. You’re going to be given a financial quota, which you will meet daily. Failure to do so will result in another disciplinary meeting, the termination of your employment, or a delightful combination of both or more, depending on the deficit.”

“So what do I get in return? You said this was a negotiation.”

“You get to live,” Nevada said.

“So do we have a deal, Mateo?” you asked.

“Fuck you, bitch.”

Nevada was by your side in a heartbeat. He had pulled out his gun and pistol-whipped Mateo on the spot. He was a groaning mess on the floor. Now was your time to move. You took a step back and kept your eye on the target. You nailed him right in the sweet spot so many times you lost count after six. Or maybe it was eight. You stopped when you heard him barely mutter, “Deal, cunt.”

This time it was Nevada that laid into him.

“I think he’s learned this lesson, boys. Take him out on the boat until he remembers to respect his superiors. You might want to pack lunches.”


	13. Chapter 13

Nevada turned on his heel and left the boat house. You turned around and quickened your pace to catch up with him, the bodyguards close behind you. He had longer legs than you realized. The dock was quiet except for the flop of your sandals as you scurried along. Everyone got back in the SUV and started driving.

Nevada silently stared out the window. You weren’t sure if you should speak or remain silent. You looked to the bodyguard sitting in the back with you, but he wasn’t any help. He knew better than to speak without being spoken to. You fumbled with your phone to try and make up for the awkward silence. You didn’t have any notifications on Facebook, Twitter was a bust, and Nevada forbade camera use in the vehicles, so Instagram and Snapchat was out of the question.

You closed your eyes and got lost in your thoughts. So much had happened in the last week. What if you hadn’t jumped in to save Nevada’s ass in that poker game? Would you be at the boat house? Would you still be alive? Why is Nevada keeping you so close? There were times where he was hard to read, and lately it was obvious he never got over that crush he had on you when you were in high school, but if Mateo really had been stealing all this time, why weren’t you in some kind of trouble? Not that you knew it was going on. Mateo never had time to spend any of that extra income on you.

The SUV glided to a stop and Nevada put his hand on yours. You looked up and saw you were back home. You weren’t sure where your home was now, but Nevada insisted you stay with him. So el casa es tu casa? What if there was something you were missing? If Nevada’s attitude toward you and your father changed, you could be out on the street with no protection.

You all silently went up to Nevada’s apartment. The guards carried your new clothes up and put them in your room and left. You got yourself a glass of water and sat on one end of the couch while Nevada poured himself some whiskey, lit a cigarette, and sat opposite of you. You sat for a few minutes before breaking the silence.

“Would you like me to leave?” you asked timidly.

“Not at all. I’d much rather have you here than wandering around. If you’re here, I know you’re safe,” he responded.

“Mateo is the only threat against me and you’re taking care of him. I can leave if you need some time alone.”

“But that’s just it. He’s not the only threat against you. At least right now. Once word gets around, you’ll be targeted. You’re safest here. So please, stay,” he said.

“What do you mean? Is this what I said at the boat house?”

“Yeah. You called yourself my girlfriend. Being attached to me will get you far in the Heights, but it also gets you dead if you don’t watch your step.”

“Is that a threat, Nevada?” you asked, arching your eyebrow and narrowing your gaze at him.

“Yes and no. You know enough about this business to know that the competition doesn’t mess around when it comes to deadlines and shipments. If you double cross or get double crossed, things may not end well. I don’t want that to happen to you. I don’t want to lose you. So consider it a warning.”

“You’re right. This is risky business. But I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want in. I may have been born into it, but not like you. I worry about my dad all the time. Enough people know who he is that he could get shot on his way to the bodega for the morning newspaper. But while I worry about him, I am able to breathe a little easier knowing that he’s protected by you. So by proxy, I am also protected by you.” You scooted closer to him until your shoulders were touching. You placed your hand on his knee and he placed his arm around you. Who knew such a dangerous man could be so tender?

“I have a question,” he said. “There’s this incredible person who has been a huge part of my life. This person walked out for a while and recently came back in and they’ve fallen on rough times. I’ve done some stuff to help them and I have a huge favor to ask them, but I want this person to have the choice of agreeing. However, I am afraid that this person will feel obligated to accept the favor.”

“So what’s your question?” you asked, knowing that you would owe your dad breakfast tomorrow.

“How do I let this person know that they have the option of saying no if they don’t want to help me out?”

“Well, I would tell you to explain to that person that you have only tried to be helpful since things got difficult for them. Tell them your friendship doesn’t always mean owing you something. Then ask them if they would be willing to help you out.”

“I see what you’re saying. But what if they can’t see past that and they do something they are going to regret?” he asked.

“You’re going to have to trust them to make the right decision. The decision that is best for them. Are you ready for the possibility of not being someone’s number one priority?”

“That’s actually a thing?” he asked playfully.

“It is, Nevada. Sometimes the sun doesn’t rise and set on your command.”

“Wow. I just assumed-“

“See what happens when you assume? You make an ass out of you and me.”

You swore you saw a genuine smile appear on his lips. He placed his whiskey on the table beside him and put his cigarette out with what was left of the liquid.

“Now it’s your turn to help me. I have this friend and she has a really big crush on her boss. This crush just kind of hit her in the face all at once. Now she doesn’t know what to do. Her boss is kind of a big deal, so she doesn’t want to go down a road that is closed. What should I tell her?” you asked.

“Well now, that’s a big thing. If I were her boss, I’d want her to be up front with me. The key to a successful business is communicating with your employees. Besides, she could be a good lay.”

“She didn’t have much success in that area when we were in college. She spent a lot of time drinking and doing homework.”

“Ah. So she’s a little timid to come forward? And what about him? Is he the kind of guy to make a move?”

“Generally yes, but this time is different. He’s showering her with attention and responsibilities. That’s unheard of for him.”

“I think he likes her. Tell your friend to just go for it.”

And just like that, your lips found his again. His arm slid down to your waist and tightened around you. Your hand slid up his leg and found its way across his stomach to hug him tightly. He smelled of smoke and alcohol, with undertones of the ocean.

Breaking away from the kiss you asked, “You had a favor for me?”

And that’s how you ended up dating Nevada Ramirez and owing your dad breakfast for a week.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still learning how to write for Nevada. We don't know much of his life outside of business so he's kind of up in the air. Bear with me.

In the weeks to follow, business was increasing exponentially. Mateo’s buyers weren’t happy with the increase in prices, but they also couldn’t afford to not have Nevada’s protection. Mateo was meeting his quota, but was still on probation of Nevada’s good graces.

Your relationship with Nevada provided a few extra perks you didn’t have before. The sex was amazing. You worked in sync and communicated everything. You also got your own little battalion of bodyguards. You protested at first, but Nevada was not having any of it. He protected the things near and dear to his heart: his supply, his money, and his girlfriend.

Word spread quickly about your relationship. Nevada was a feared man to begin with, but everyone seemed to be even more afraid of you. Everyone except Mateo. He had been given strict instructions to stay away from you. And for the most part he did. The one time he came near you, he got decked pretty hard. After that, he kept his distance.

You had never been much of a high-maintenance girl. Before Nevada, you would find yourself getting clothes from second-hand stores or maybe from a cheaper department store. You would buy generic items so you could save money to splurge on a nice meal every once in a while. With Nevada, you never got second best. It was like he waited his whole life to spoil you. It only took about three weeks for him to give you your own credit card in his name. He also told you to use it in emergencies, but to him, an emergency was getting hungry at random times or seeing something online that you really wanted. He seemed to get mildly offended when you would pass up on something he knew you wanted.

This bothered you at first. Growing up, you didn’t get everything you wanted, but you got a lot of things. When you went to college, the Ramirez Family footed the bill, but you learned to live off of free food at campus events. It really humbled you financially. You tried to talk to Nevada about it several times, but he always dismissed it and told you to go buy something.

So you would. You would often buy something practical, like toilet paper or some groceries, but sometimes you would buy something that was more for him than you. He admired that you spent money wisely, but he really admired when you got a little reckless.

At first you were unsure of lingerie shopping. You knew there was supposed to be little left to the imagination, but some of the items you found made it seem like Victoria’s Secret was where the Amish shopped.

You found out from your security team where Nevada liked to get his apology gifts from in the past. Since you weren’t experienced enough, you decided to go with what he knew.

For your first purchase, you stayed with a simple black baby doll and cute matching panties. You had to admit that you felt really sexy in it and you had to force yourself not to look at the price tag. You glanced over to the clearance section, but you knew your bodyguards were going to report back to Nevada and he would ask if you paid full price.

When you got home, you checked to make sure Nevada wasn’t there. He wasn’t, so you changed into your new outfit, if you could even call it that, and waited. You wanted it to look natural that you were just happened to be wearing that when he got home, so you started doing some household chores. 

An hour passed. Two hours. Three. You hadn’t heard from him. It was getting late and you were getting worried. You tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail. You sent him a text. You could tell he read it, but he didn’t respond. Your mind began to fill with fears of the worst. You decided to make cookies to keep your mind focused on one thing. Now it was three in the morning. Fourty-five minutes later, you had eaten most of the cookies and were barely paying attention to the shitty infomercial on TV. Finally you heard the door open. You turned your head to see Nevada coming in. He looked like he had a few too many drinks, but he wasn’t completely drunk off his ass.

You got up from the couch and ran to him. You threw your arms around him and held him tight.

“Where the hell were you, Nevada? I was worried sick about you!” you yelled.

“I had a meeting that ran long.”

You took a step back and examined him. There were faint traces of glitter all over him.

“Since when do drug lords wear sparkles?” you asked motioning to the herpes of arts and crafts.

“I went to one of the establishments after the meeting. Some bimbos wanted a free hit. You know how it is, baby. Is this new?” he tugged at the baby doll that was still covered in cookie crumbs.

“Yes. I bought it for you. But I’m starting to regret it.”

“I’m pretty fond of it. I’d like to see what’s underneath it. I have a feeling I’ll be fond of that too.”

“I don’t think so, Mr. Ramirez,” you said backing away and pushing his hands from you, “you can’t just ignore my calls and texts, stay out at all hours of the night, and then expect sex when you get home.”

There was a shift in his eyes and you didn’t like it.

“Cariño,” he said taking a step toward you, “You seem to have a hard time understanding who is in charge here. I’ve let you run your pretty little mouth a lot here lately and I’ve had just about enough.”

“Nevada, what’s gotten into you?”

He didn’t answer you, he just landed his mouth on yours and forced his tongue inside. You tried to squirm away, but his grip on you was getting tighter every second. You could feel the indentation of his ring where you were positive a fairly large bruise was already starting to form. 

His hands turned you around and guided you through the living room and into the bedroom. He picked you up and tossed you on the bed. Then he walked away from the bed and into the bathroom. You laid there, face down and afraid to move. You were using what was left of your energy to keep the tears from leaking out of your eyes. The sudden silence in the room should have reassured you, but it didn’t.

You heard the shower turn on and the shower door open and shut. You continued to be still. The minutes seemed like hours, but you eventually willed yourself to move so you could look around the room. You confirmed you were alone and got off the bed. You took advantage of being alone and packed a bag. You weren’t doing this again. And since this was Nevada you were dealing with, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill you. It was better to get out now than to get slapped around again.

You were doing one final check to make sure you had everything you would need for the night when the water shut off. You panicked and started to make your way out of the room. He must have seen you because the next thing you knew, he grabbed you by the arm and spun you around. For God’s sake, how many times were you going to get thrown around this month?

Nothing was stopping you now from letting the tears fall. You looked down to light a fire in your eyes he wouldn’t soon forget. You shot your gaze up into his eyes and waited his hand to fly. You saw his arm move in the corner of your eye and tried not to wince noticeably. What you experienced next was not what you anticipated.

His hand came to your face very gingerly and his thumb wiped a tear from your eye. His lips came to your forehead and he pulled you into a tight, warm, wet hug. You were too tired to fight back. 

“Don’t leave. Please,” he whispered.

“Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t,” you responded.

He took a step back from you and moved his hands up and down from your shoulders to your wrists. “I don’t have a good reason for you. Plenty of excuses, but no reasons.”

“Well I’m not going to stand by and let another man hurt me. I’ll find another place to stay tonight. Don’t bother sending anyone to track me.”

He looked at you pleadingly. “Please sit and let me explain.”

“I’ll be fine standing. Go ahead and talk.”

He took a seat on the arm chair facing you. He looked genuinely upset. He looked up at you and saw the pain in your eyes. And you could see the pain in his.

“I had a business meeting late this evening. It wasn’t going well and one of their guys got knifed. Some of my guys stayed back while I was pulled out. I knew I couldn’t come straight here in case I was being followed. I decided to collect on some debts early at some of my distributors’. I didn’t hear my phone ring, and I barely had time to read your message before some whores recognized me and wanted to party. They thought they could score some free product. After I had a few drinks, they got me on the dance floor. They tried to do more, but I told them their services were no longer required. They were pretty drunk themselves and slapped me. They didn’t last much longer in the club. If the owner hadn’t stepped in, my guys would have had to take control. I had a few more drinks and came back to you.”

“Nevada, that doesn’t explain what happened when you came home. I know that girls being all over you comes with the territory. I trust that I am the one you are going to come home to at night, but not if you are going to treat me like a common whore.” You set your bag down on the end table and crossed your arms.

“I know. What if I told you that I’m still getting used to having a beautiful, fiery goddess in my life? No one talks to me like you do. I lost it for a second. Nobody second guesses me or asks what I’ve been up to. It just doesn’t happen.”

You looked at each other in silence for a few minutes. His eyes were begging you to believe him, pleading with you to stay. Your eyes were searching for the slightest indication of a lie, something to give you a reason to leave and not look back. You found nothing. 

He was the first to speak again, “I understand if you want to leave for the night, or even for a week. If you do leave, please let me know where you will be. I want you to be safe and I can have your things sent to you. Just let me make it up to you. Let me prove to you that this will never happen again.”

You were still silent. Your fingers were playing with the strap of your bag. Your jaw was set and you were grinding your teeth. He made a sensible argument for a man in this business, and he had an adorable face to match. You couldn’t stay mad forever, but he had just hurt you deeply not even twenty minutes ago.

“I’ll make a deal with you, Nevada. I won’t go, but I won’t be sharing a bed with you until I feel like I can trust you again. Nothing about what you just did was okay. You’re going to have to learn to live with a fiery woman like me.”

“That’s a deal I can almost live with,” he started.

“Nevada-I,” you retaliated.

“I’m only going to learn to live with a beautiful, fiery goddess. And I will do everything I can to make you believe that about yourself.”

He walked toward you and grabbed your bag. He placed a soft kiss on your nose and led you into the bedroom.

“I told you I’m not sharing a bed with you,” you said.

“I know. You’re sleeping in here and I’ll take the other room. Only the best for you. Only the finest. Only what shows you that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

He kissed your hair and bade you goodnight. He told you if you needed anything he would only be a room away. You laid in bed and reveled in the feeling that this man was more than the drugs and the money. He was someone who, despite this evening, you were falling for in love with.


End file.
